How Long?
by zeldalink531
Summary: Many years after the events of Ocarina of Time, Link has been sent off to war but has failed to return. How long will Zelda last before she gives up hope? Rated T for adult themes such as depression and suicide.


This is my very first completed fanfic... yay! :D

Note: I've been struggling with this story since I was 14 (nearly 10 years). I've dealt with depression on and off since then and every time I got close to ending it, I always imagined my hero at the time coming and saving me... now that hero happens to be Link. It just so happens he has finally inspired me to write it down.

Disclaimer, no, sadly I do not own Legend of Zelda. I do, however, own Link... he's a 7-inch plush that sits on my bed complete with sword and shield. "Oh Link... if only you twer real, that would be twerrific!" (lol, you have no idea how long i've been waiting to say that) Kudos to whoever gets my reference. :D

* * *

How long had she been there?

Waiting.

For one that would never come.

Praying.

For a promise to be kept.

He said he would always return to her.

How long would she continue her silent vigil?

She sat on a marble bench, the cherry blossoms in full bloom surrounding her, swaying delicately in the warm spring breeze. The coldness of the hard stone seeped into her very bones, freezing her to her place.

The pain in her muscles and tendons from her long continued stillness had long since left her; leaving an ever-growing numbness.

Her only solace, the deep endless pain in her chest making it increasingly hard to breath.

Her well of tears had long since dried up leaving nothing but the stains on her pale cheeks as evidence of their once existence. Her once beautiful deep blue eyes, bottomless as the sea, now empty and blood shot; red and swollen.

She didn't know how many faces had passed before her distressed by her despair. They were nothing but a blur to her and their concerned words fell on deaf ears.

She had ears for only one voice. Eyes for only one face. One that would never come.

He was gone.

A noise made her turn her gaze to the sky. Black clouds loomed in the distance. A gust of wind blew into the garden. Swirling around the cherry trees knocking the blossoms off of their branches. It caught her golden curls, and lifted them off her tear stained face. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift. Memories overwhelmed her. Sweet memories of _him_.

She opened her eyes realizing where she was and choked back a sob. The first sound she had made in what could have been days. Time had no meaning.

This is where she had first laid eyes on him, sneaking through the gardens. This is where they had met on so many occasions, shared their first kiss. This is where he proposed. Where he had said his last goodbye, promising his swift return.

Why had she let him go? Would it really have been so hard to allow herself to live with the regret of not allowing himself to fulfill his need to protect and serve his people? Why had she not convinced her father to end the stupid war before it had taken the live of her husband?

She had to get out of here. She had to move from this cursed place.

She attempted to rise but her limps failed her and she collapsed, a hoarse cry escaping from her cracked lips. She fell into a crumpled heap. The blood slowly, painfully retuning to her limps. First like needles, then daggers. Tears she didn't know she had fell from her face and she slowly, painfully pulled herself up to rest her head on the marble bench.

The storm finally broke. The entire sky weeping with her. Unleashing its tears of despair to grieve with the broken woman. She raised her face to its embrace allowing the rain to wash away her tears for one brief moment before she found what little strength she had left to pull herself up and escape from the cruel embrace of the cursed garden.

She inched her way slowly to safety of the castle walls. Using the trees as supports for as long as she could. Her golden tresses clung to her face obscuring her vision. She pulled them from her face while angrily brushing tears away. Tears that refused to stop falling; tears she had thought had long since dried up. The rain had already made the ground slick with mud and she stumbled and fell when not but a few feet from her destination. She choked back another sob.

"Could you truly bring me any lower?" she cried. Her voice hoarse from disuse.

She crawled the rest of the way the pain in her chest to much to bear. When she reach the castle walls she pulled herself up walking slowly to the arch and up the passageways to her bedchamber. She met no one.

Had they all deserted her? Or were they all to concerned with their own fate to worry about their condemned princess?

She reached her room. Closing the door behind her she leaned gratefully against the oaken wood. She caught her reflection in the full length mirror across from her. Slowly, she took in the wretched sight. The white of her dress now barely visible under a thick layer of mud now caked to it as was the royal seal that hung from the golden belt at her waist. The full length gloves now permanently stained brown. Her once glorious golden hair now hung limp around her face. It too had mud in it. Among her curls a gleam of gold and sapphire caught her eyes. She angrily tore the crown from her head. Throwing it forcefully at the mirror shattering into a thousand pieces.

Like her heart.

She began tearing her mud-stained clothes from her body. Not caring as she heard the expensive fabrics rip. When she was left only in her under garment she walked to the cabinet by her bedside tearing it open. A bottle of wine, a glass; another escape from the cursed reality she found herself in.

She stumbled to the other door in her chamber leading to a very large bathroom. She set the bottle of wine and glass down next to the considerably large octagonal bath tub and began turning several of the many facets that lined one side of the strange tub. Hot water and bubbles poured from the many faucets and the scents of lavender and lilacs filled the air. She had been very careful _not_ to turn a certain facet. _His_ favorite. _Roses._

She breathed in choking on the pain still ever present in her chest. She slowly removed the last of her clothing and sank into the heated waters. She allowed the warmth of the water to wash away the pain in her muscles the tingling of needles finally fading away.

She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Tears still fell from her eyes and she feared they would never stop. She placed a hand over the spot in her chest where her heart should have been but now only a endless abyss threatened to suck her in forever.

How long could she go on?

A bottomless chasm stretched out before her, she had only to take a step and she would fall into the embrace of darkness forever.

She didn't hear her bedroom door open. Her own sobs to loud too allow her that comfort. Even if she had, who would come to her now? No one would comfort her. Was it only a maid to clean up the broken shards of her mirror? Wouldn't anyone clean up the broken shards of her heart?

She allowed her thoughts to slip to him as her head slipped below the water.

How long had it been?

Since she had last seen him?

His golden hair, so much like the sun; that cursed smiled that made her go weak at the knees; those damned eyes, endless as the sky...

She took that step. And fell into the waiting darkness. It swallowed her whole the pain in her chest growing...

Oh why now did she see his eyes before her?

Pulling her back from the abyss she had thrust herself into?

Those damned blue eyes saving her from utter darkness pulling her back into the light.

Strong arms wrenched her from her watery grave. Pulling her naked body into a tight embrace. She greedily sucked in air, and coughed up water and blood. The smell of the woods assaulted her and she hungrily sucked in more air just to take in a scent she feared to never smell again.

A voice she was afraid she would never hear again spoke her name whispering words her ears longed to hear but failed to understand.

She tried to speak but her mouth seemed disconnected from her brain. Unable to form words she choked on her voice.

Her hand clutched at his tunic as if holding on for dear life. He ran his hand through her tangled curls comforting her where no one else could.

She pulled back looking into his face. Golden hair fell into sky blue eyes.

His eyes...

She could lose herself in his eyes and never feel more content in her life.

She noticed a cut on his cheek then. A deep one, with stitches laced through it. She looked down at his tunic. Blood stained his right side, a deep tear in the fabric.

She looked into his eyes. Removing a hand from his tunic she lightly traced his jaw.

"They told me you were dead." She had finally found her voice, raw and hoarse from her attempt at escape.

He studied he face. A deep longing in his eyes.

"I made a promise I intended to keep." He smiled.

She melted into his embrace. One of his hand wrapped tightly around her waist the other found it's way to her face. He traced the line of her jaw.

"I'm sorry it took so long."

He captured her mouth with his. And the chasm in her chest now filled. Her heart finally returned to her in the arms of her one true love.

Her husband.

Her prince.

Her hero.

Her Link.

* * *

Depression is a serious matter. If you or anyone you know is suffering from it please get help. Suicide is one of the most selfish things a person can do, someone cares, and is would miss you if you were gone.

Btw, I kinda picture the bathtub like the prefects bathtub in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire... just so you know. I just think it would be awesome if everyone had a bathtub like that. :D

Please review, this is my first published fanfic and I'd really like to know what everyone thinks. Even if you don't like it, say as much and tell me why. So I can do better next time. :)


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